Manufacture of cigarettes



Sept. 1954 D. w. MouNs ETAL 2,689,574

MANUFACTURE OF CIGARETTES Filed July 5, 1951 sum c A, M, Mums Patented Sept. 21 r 1954 Desmond Walter Molins and, Norman Walter Jackson, Deptfoid, London, England, assignoi's to Molins Machine Com England, a British comp pany Limited, London, any

Application July 5', 1951, SerialNo. 238,178

claims priority, application Great iii-item July 11, 1950 8Glaims: 1

This invention concerns improvements in or relating to the manufacture of cigarettes; and has for its object to provide a method of and means for increasing the density of tobacco at desired positions along the length of acontinuous tobacco filler, whereby a filler having alternately denser and less dense portions along its length may be formed A filler of thisnature, when enclosed in a paper wrapper, forms a continuous rod which can be cut through the denser parts to produce cigarettes in which the tobacco at one or both ends is denser than elsewhere in the cigarette;

According to the present invention there isprovided a method of increasing the density or tobacco at desired positions along the length of a tobacco filler, which method consists in engag ing the filler at a part near each such position and displacing tobacco lengthwise of the filler and also engaging tobacco near each said part and effecting a smaller displacement of tobacco so engaged, in the same direction as that of the first said displacement so as partially to replace tobacco displaced by the first said displacement.

By this method a somewhat gradual densification of tobacco in the region of each desired position can be effected, and this can be made more gradual by the funther stepof effecting one or more similar successive and progressively smaller displacements of tobacco, each of which partially replaces tobacco displaced by the preceding displacement. I

A methodas set out above may be employed on a filler whose uniformity has been improved by endwise compacting and closing up due to re= duction of speed while in a confining passage, whereby the said displacements of tobacco are effected as a final step after the formationof the filler and just before the latter is enclosed in a paper wrapper.

Further according to the present invention there is provided means for increasing the density of tobacco at desired positions along the length of a tobacco filler, comprising means to engage the filler at a part near each such position and to move relatively to the filler so as to displace tobacco lengthwise of the filler, and means to engage tobacco near each said part and move relatively to the filler in the same direction as the first said means but by a smaller amount so as to effect a smaller displacement of tobacco inthe same direction as that of the first said dis placement so as partially to replace tobacco displaced by the first said means.

Further means may be providedto enga e to-- bacco near that engaged by the second said means and to move relatively to the filler in the same direction as the secoiidsaidmeans but by a still smaller amounted as to efiect a still smaller displacement of tobacco in the same direction as that of the second said displacement so as partially to replace tobacco displaced by the second said means;

Further according to the invention there is provided apparatus for increasing the density of tobacco at desired positions along the length of a tobacco stream; comprising means to feed a t'obacco stream lengthwise, an element adapted to enter the stream andto move in the same direc'-- tion as but faster than the stream, while engag ing tobacco so as'to displace tobacco lengthwise of the stream, and a second element adapted to enter the stream behind the first said element and to move in the same direction as and faster than the stream but slower than the first said element so as to effect a smaller displacement of tobacco behind the tobacco displaced by the first said element and thereby partially replace the last-mentioned tobacco.

The apparatusmay also comprise at least one further element a'daptedto move into the stream behind the first and second said elements and to move slower than the second said element so as to efiect a smaller displacement or progressively smaller displacements of tobacco lengthwise of the stream, the whole arrangement being such that tobacco displacedby one element is partly replaced by tobacco displaced by a succeeding element.

Apparatus as set: out above may be provided in combination with means for improving the uniformity or the filler, which latter means com"- prises a confining passage, means to feed tobacco into and through the said passage, and means to reduce the speed of the tobacco while in said passage so as to cause endwis'e compacting and closing up" of the tobacco in the passage, the said means for enacting displacements of tobacco in the finer being sirens-cute operate' on the hirer after it has been fed through said passage.

Apparatus according" to' the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: v V

Figure 1 an elevation partly in section of part of a continuousrod cigarette making machine showing the invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a sideelevation of Figure 1. Referring to the drawings a continuous stream of filler of unwrapped tobacco (not shown) is formed on a continuous rod cigarette machine in the usual manner and is fed lengthwise in the direction of the arrow, Figure 1, on a continuous paper web I carried by an endless tape conveyor 2 preparatory to passing beneath the usual tongue 3 and then having the paper web folded and secured about it so as to form a continuous cigarette rod which is to be cut at desired intervals to form cigarettes.

In the manufacture of cigarettes it is desirable to ensure that the portions of the rod at which cutting takes place are firm and well filled, so as to enable the cigarettes to have firm and cleanly cut ends. For this purpose it has previously been proposed to provide a continuous rod in which the tobacco is denser at the portions which are to be out than elsewhere. This is accomplished according to the present invention by the apparatus about to be described.

Located above the paper web on which the tobacco stream or filler is carried is a rotatable wheel I4 which carries a number of radial fingers, described below, which constitute tobaccoengaging elements. The wheel is located above the tongue 3, which is slotted as shown in Figure 1 to permit the radial fingers to pass through the tongue to engage the tobacco, which at that position has no yet been effectively gripped and compressed between the tongue and the paper web. The wheel is so arranged that as it rotates, the fingers, which are spaced around the wheel, enter the tobacco stream one after another and move a short distance in engagement with tobacco in the stream, their movement being in the same direction as but faster than the stream. Preferably two groups each consisting of three fingers are provided on the wheel, as shown in Figure 1, the two groups being diametrically opposite. The wheel is so timed and is rotated at such a speed relative to the speed ofthe tobacco stream that each group of fingers enters the stream in the region of positions in the stream at which it is desired to increase the density of the tobacco. Normally these positions would be a cigarettelength apart, so that each cigarette would have denser tobacco at both ends. If however, it is desired that only one end of a cigarette should contain denser tobacco, these positions could be spaced apart by a distance equal to double the length of a cigarette.

Each group of fingers is so arrange that the leading finger 4 of the group moves with the greatest speed, while the second finger 5 moves slower than the leading finger, and the third finger 5 moves slowly still. This is accomplished by the following arrangement. The second 5 finger is fixed on the wheel and thus its angular speed is that of the wheel. The first and third fingers 4 and 6 respectively are each movably mounted on the wheel, being formed on the ends of arms pivoted at I and 8 respectively which are arranged to be swung forwardly and backwardly respectively at desired times so as to increase and reduce the forward speed of the respective fingers relatively to the stream. The pivoted arms have projections 9 and ID respectively which ride on the edges of different fixed cams about which the wheel rotates, the cams being so shaped as to cause the arm carrying the finger 4 to swing forwardly about its pivot just as the finger formed on the free end of the arm is about to enter the tobacco while the arm carrying the finger 6 is caused to move backwardly as it engages the tobacco. In this way the speed of the finger 4 is increased relatively to the wheel speed while that of the finger 6 is decreased. A cam ll operates the arm carrying the finger 4 and a cam l2 operates the arm carrying the finger 6, springs l3 causing the projections 9 and ID to engage their respective cams. The backward movement of the arm carrying the finger 6 is such that the finger, although its forward speed relative to the stream is reduced, still moves faster than the stream.

The leading finger 4 of a group enters the stream of tobacco and engages tobacco near and behind a, position at which it is desired to increase the density, and since it is moving faster than the stream, effects a lengthwise forward displacement of the tobacco in the stream. This causes a local endwise compacting of the stream with the result that the density of the tobacco is increased at the desired position in the stream. This displacement of tobacco, however, reduces the density of the stream at the region from which the tobacco is displaced. In order to compensate for this local reduction in density, the second finger 5 is arranged to enter the tobacco stream behind the region of reduced density near the part at which tobacco was engaged by the leading finger, and by moving forward faster than the stream effects a further displacement of tobacco which partly replaces the tobacco displaced by the leading finger. The replacement is only partial because as the second finger moves more slowly than the leading finger, its speed is more nearly that of the tobacco stream and therefore it imparts a smaller forward displacement to the tobacco. The third finger 6 operates in the same way to effect a partial replacement of tobacco moved by the second finger, the displacement of tobacco by the third finger being again smaller than that efiected by the second finger due to the lower speed of the third finger.

In this way the density of the stream is increased by a desired amount at a chosen position in the stream, and is gradually reduced by means of a series of compensating displacements of decreasing amounts in order to avoid an undesirable sparseness in the region immediately behind the densest portion.

It will be understood that any convenient number of fingers could be used, but the present construction in which three fingers are employed is found to give good results.

Preferably the cigarette-making machine incorporates means for improving the uniformity of the filler by feeding tobacco as a stream into and through a confining passage, and reducing the speed of the tobacco while in the passage so as to cause the stream to be compacted and closed up endwise while in the passage. A construction in which such means is provided is described and illustrated in United States Patent No. 2,149,924, while a, further construction is disclosed in United States patent application, Serial No. 86,628, filed April 11, 1949.

Where the machine includes such means for improving the uniformity of the filler, the wheel M with fingers 4, 5 and 6 is arranged at a position such as to operate upon the filler after the latter has been fed through the confining passage. Although this specific arrangement is not illustrated in the accompanying drawings it is to be understood that any means for reducing the speed of the tobacco to cause endwise closing up, such as that disclosed in either of the specifications referred to above, is located to the right-hand side of the tongue 3 as viewed in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, and it will be clear that in the construction illustrated in Figure 1 this also engaging tobacco near each said part and effecting a smaller displacement of tobacco so engaged, in the same direction as that of the first said displacement so as partially to replace tobacco displaced by the first said displacement.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising the further step of effecting at least one similar smaller displacement of tobacco, which partially replaces tobacco displaced by the preceding displacement.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the uniformity of the filler is improved, prior to the effecting of the said displacements of tobacco, by endwise compacting and closing up due to reduction of speed while in a confining passage, whereby the said displacements of tobacco are effected as a final step after the formation of the filler and just before the latter is enclosed in a paper wrap r- 4. In a cigarette making machine, means for increasing the density of tobacco at desired positions along the length of a tobacco filler, comprising a conveyor to move a tobacco filler lengthwise, tobacco engaging members movable to engage the filler, means to move one of said members so as to cause the latter to engage a part of the filler near each said position and to move relatively to the conveyor so as to displace tobacco from said part lengthwise of the filler, and means to move a second member so as to cause the latter to engage a part of the filler near each first named part, and to move relatively to the filler in the same direction as the first said member but by a smaller amount so as .to effect a smaller displacement of tobacco toward said first named part and thereby partially replace tobacco displaced by the first said member.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, comprising a further tobacco engaging member movable to engage the filler, and means to move said further member so as to cause the latter to engage a part of the filler near each part engaged by the said second member, and to move relatively to the filler in the same direction as the said second member but by a smaller amount so as to effect a smaller displacement of tobacco toward said part engaged by the said second member, and thereby partially replace tobacco displaced by the said second member.

6. Apparatus for increasing the density of tobacco at desired positions along the length of a tobacco stream, comprising conveyor means to 6 feed a tobacco stream lengthwise, a pair of elements movable into the tobacco stream and arranged one behind the other considered in the direction of movement of the stream, means to cause said elements to enter the stream, means operable when the leading element of said pair is engaging tobacco in the stream, to move said element in the same direction as and faster than said conveyor, and means operable when the second element of said pair is engaging tobacco in the stream, to move said second element in the same direction as and faster than the said conveyor, but slower than the said leading element, whereby each said element displaces tobacco lengthwise of the stream, the said second element effecting a tobacco displacement, smaller than that effected by the said leading element, behind the tobacco displaced by the latter so as to replace partially the last mentioned tobacco, wherein the tobacco stream is wholly supported on said conveyor, and conveyed thereby at a substantially constant speed, and as a continuous, coherent stream, during operation of the said elements.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, comprising at least one further element movable into the tobacco stream and arranged behind the said second element, means to cause said further element to enter the stream, and means operable when said further element is engaging tobacco in the stream, to move it in the same direction as the conveyor and slower than the said second element so as to effect a displacement of tobacco, smaller than that effected by the said second element, behind the tobacco displaced by the latter so as to replace partially the last mentioned tobacco.

8. In a cigarette making machine, means for improving the uniformity of a tobacco filler, comprising a confining passage, means to feed tobacco into and through the said passage, and means to reduce the speed of the tobacco while in said passage so as to cause endwise compacting and closing up of the tobacco in the passage; and means for increasing the density of tobacco at desired positions along the length of the tobacco filler after the latter has been fed through the said passage, the last named means comprising means to engage the filler at a part near each said position and to move relatively to the filler so as to displace tobacco lengthwise of the filler, and means to engage tobacco near each said part and to move relatively to the filler in the same direction as the first said means but by a smaller amount so as to effect a. smaller displacement of tobacco in the same direction as that of the first said displacement so as partially to replace tobacco displaced by the first said means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,172,804 Molins Sept. 12, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 372,008 Great Britain May 5, 1932 615,502 Great Britain Jan. 6, 1949 

